How to keep your cat cool in summer

The glorious British summer can quickly turn into an uncomfortable, dry or humid bore, meaning sleepless nights and sticky days for many of us. But while we can relieve ourselves with a cold shower or an ice lolly, we have to find special ways for our kitties to keep cool.

Blue Cross has some innovative ideas, starting with investing in a cooling pad. These are now widely available and can be placed in your pet’s favourite napping spot covered by their favourite blanket, offering a little cool patch for them to rest on.

Give your kitten ice to play with if chasing a cube round the kitchen floor is something they would enjoy, and they may start to lick it and cool themselves down as they play.  Alternatively, making your cat an ice lolly using tuna brine saved from your sandwich preparation is a novel way of getting your kitty to cool down from the inside out.

It is very important at this time of year to stay on top of your cat grooming responsibilities, as they may need a little extra help to shed any excess fur if they are long-haired.

Last but not least, make sure they have plenty of water, and if they are an outdoor cat, put some water in a bowl for them outside for when they emerge from their favourite cool spot under the bushes.